Hydrogen vent assembly

Abstract

An improved three-piece polymeric hydrogen vent assembly for use on chlor-alkali diaphragm cells comprises an elongated tube containing a standpipe and an inverted cup which separates the standpipe from the tube. The cup has a plurality of openings in its base portion and a manometer fitting in its top. The entire three-piece assembly is fabricated from a polymeric material, preferably polypropylene, and can be conveniently molded in a one-piece unit. Each individual component of the assembly can be separately cut from the single molded unit and assembled. The hydrogen vent assembly is primarily useful as a replacement for existing steel components and has the advantages of being less corrosive than carbon steel, easier to install, and safer in operation since it has a reduced risk of overflow during cell start-up.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An improved polymeric hydrogen vent assembly for use on chloralkali diaphragm cells, said assembly comprising: (a) an elongated tube having an enlarged upper section with an open end and a lower section engaging the hydrogen outlet pipe of said cell, said tube being adapted to contain a liquid medium,   (b) a standpipe emplaced within the tube, the lower end of said standpipe being sealed to the lower inner surface of said tube, the upper end of said standpipe being recessed below the open end of the tube,   (c) an inverted cup emplaced within the tube enclosing the standpipe, said cup dividing the region between the standpipe and tube into an inner region and an outer region, the base of said cup being adapted to engage the lower inner surface of the tube, and the top of said cup having a manometer fitting communicating directly with the standpipe, said cup containing peripheral openings permitting fluid communication between the inner region and the outer region, and   (d) a manometer sealed to the manometer fitting.   
     
     
       2. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 1 wherein the liquid medium is water. 
     
     
       3. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 1 which is formed from polypropylene. 
     
     
       4. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower section of the elongated tube is provided with external threading for engaging the hydrogen outlet pipe. 
     
     
       5. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 1 wherein the base of the inverted cup is flared. 
     
     
       6. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 5 wherein the inverted cup is snap-fitted to the lower inner surface of the tube. 
     
     
       7. The hydrogen vent assembly of claim 1 wherein the tube, standpipe and cup have circular cross-sections.